1) Technical field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor module, and in particular, relates to the semiconductor module including a semiconductor device with a main surface contacted onto a radiator of grand potential.
2) Description of Related Arts
The conventional semiconductor device includes a semiconductor chip molded with packaging resin may be used with the radiator contacted thereon for radiating heat generated by the semiconductor chip. Also, the radiator may be connected with the grand potential in accordance with the type of the semiconductor device during operation of the semiconductor device. In this circumstance, especially in case where the power semiconductor device having high withstand voltage such as 600 volts and 1200 volts is demanded, adequate insulating clearance distance and insulating creepage distance should be secured between the terminals of the semiconductor device and the radiator connected with the grand potential.
One of the conventional techniques, i.e., JPA 2003-303939, discloses a power semiconductor module which secures adequate insulating clearance distance and insulating creepage distance required between the adjacent terminals by means of projected walls of resin and grooves formed continuously with the walls.
However, the semiconductor module is assembled with any existing semiconductor devices, thus ones having fixed outline, it is difficult to form such walls and grooves on the semiconductor device. In particular, in case where the semiconductor device is one of DIP-type (Dual Inline Package) semiconductor devices, which includes the semiconductor chip molded with the resin package having a main surface contacting the radiator, and a plurality of terminals (lead frames) extending from side surfaces and being bent towards the direction away from the main surface, the distance between the terminals and the radiator of the grand potential may be closer than that of the other type of the semiconductor devices. Therefore, securing sufficient insulating clearance distance and insulating creepage distance of the semiconductor module using the DIP-type semiconductor devices is one of major issues.
Therefore, one of the aspects of the present invention has a purpose to provide the semiconductor module composed of the semiconductor device, which includes the semiconductor element molded with the resin package having the main surface contacting the radiator, and a plurality of terminals (lead frames) extending from side surfaces and being bent towards the direction away from the main surface, in which adequate insulating clearance distance and insulating creepage distance are secured even when the semiconductor module is fixed onto the radiator.